Hydraulically-operated cleaning device for pipes



May 26, 1964 c, BROWN 3,134,120

HYDRAULICALLY-OPERATED CLEANING DEVICE FOR PIPES Filed Sept. 28, 1962 FIG.

INVENTOR CHARLES E. snow ATTORNEY United States Patent M 3,134,120 HYDRAULlCALLY-(PPERATED CLEANING DEVIQE FOR PIPES Charles E. Brown, 8772 Lindsey Road, Anaheim, Calif. Filed Sept. 28, 1962, Ser. No. 226,795 1 Claim. (Cl. 15-19412) This invention relates to a hydraulically-operated cleaning device for cleaning water tubes, plumbing lines, and the like, and more particularly to a cleaning device especially adapted for cleaning pipes such as sink trap lines, having sharp bends therein.

It is an object of this invention to provide a hydraulically-operated tube or pipe cleaner adapted to clean water pipes or tubes having sharp bends therein.

t is another object of this invention to provide a hydraulically-operated pipe cleaner which may be easily connected onto the end of a conventional garden hose or the like.

A further object of the invention is to provide a hydraulically-operated pipe cleaner particularly adapted for cleaning trap lines of household sinks and the like and to be easily inserted through the sink drain line to permit hydraulic cleaning of the sink trap.

In achievement of these objectives, there is provided in accordance with an embodiment of this invention a hydraulically-operated cleaner for plumbing lines, particularly sink trap lines, including a short flexible hose section having a female coupling at one end thereof adapted to threadedly engage the end of a garden hose or the like. The opposite or outer end of the flexible hose section has means for rotatably supporting a sleeve member on which are mounted impeller vanes or blades which are engaged by water issuing from the outer end of the hose member to thereby rotatably drive the sleeve member. A wire brush or the like is attached to the hydraulically-rotated sleeve member by a quick detachable connection which permits interchanging other sizes of brushes or other cleaning elements if desired. The water issuing from the end of the flexible hose section which drives the impeller blades also thereby drives the brush elements to clean the plumbing line into which the cleaner member is inserted.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a household sink having the flexible hydraulically-operated pipe cleaner device of the invention inserted in the drain line thereof to clean the sink trap,

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the hydraulically-operated cleaning device of the invention partially broken away at the lower end thereof to show the check valve which forms an integral part of the cleaner device,

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the upper or outer end of the hydraulically-operated cleaner device showing the component parts of the hydraulically-operated cleaner device,

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the rotary brush of the cleaner device, and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective View, partially broken away, showing details of the check valve which forms part of the cleaner device.

Referring now to the drawing, the pipe cleaning device of the invention is generally indicated at and includes a short section of flexible hose 12 which may be made of rubber, plastic, or other suitable material similar to materials used in the conventional garden hose.

At the lower end of the cleaner device 10, a female coupling generally indicated at 14 includes a neck portion 16 which is suitably connected in a fluid tight manner to the end of the short flexible hose length 12. The female 3,134,120 Patented May 26,, 1964 coupling 14 is provided on the inner surface of its enlarged lower end 18 with screw threads adapted to engage the end of a garden hose or the like. The female coupling 14 includes intermediate the neck portion 16 and the lower end portion 18 thereof a hollow cylindrical check Valve chamber 20 having a disc-shaped check valve 22 positioned therein. Check valve 22 rests on a peripheral shoulder 24 which extends radially inwardly from the inner surface of the wall of chamber 20. The disc-shaped check valve 22 includes at one edge thereof a pair of oppositely-extending pintle elements 26 which are supported for pivotal movement by suitable sockets or bearing recesses in the wall of chamber 20. Check valve 22 is biased to a closed position by a biasing spring generally indicated at 28 having two opposite ends 30 and 32. The end 30 of spring 28 is suitably anchored to the upper or outer surface of disc valve 22 by means of the two spaced parallel edge portions 34 which extend upwardly from the surface of valve disc 22, while the opposite end of spring 28 is anchored to the inner surface of the wall of chamber 29 by two spaced vertically-extending edge portions 36 which extend radially inwardly from the inner surface of the wall of chamber 20. The respective edge portions 34 and 36 receive the ends 30 and 32 of the spring 28 and are peened into overlying relation to the respective ends of the spring 28 to hold the ends of the spring fixed with respect to the disc valve 22 and with respect to the inner wall surface of chamber 20. The spiral loop of the spring 28 is anchored in position by means of a pin 38, FIG. 5. The opposite ends of which are received in suitable sockets or hearing recesses in the wall of chamber 20.

At the outer end of the short flexible hose length 12, there is provided a mounting and drive assembly generally indicated at 40 for the rotatably driven cleaning element. The mounting means includes a stationary connector sleeve 41 having a peripheral flange 42 at the outer end thereof. A closure disc 44 is secured by welding to the flange 42 of connector sleeve 41, and a stud 46 is rigidly secured in axially outwardly extending relation to disc 44 and centrally of the outer surface of disc 44. As best seen in FIG. 3, a threaded pin 48 is suitably secured to the upper end of stud 46 and projects a sufiicient distance above the upper end of stud 46 to receive an end cap 64 as will be described more fully hereinafter.

A hollow sleeve or bushing generally indicated at 50 having an internal diameter slightly greater than the external diameter of stud 46 is rotatably mounted on stud 46 coaxially of stud 46. A plurality of impeller blades or vanes 52 are attached to the outer surface of rotatable.

sleeve 50. Each of the impeller blades 52 curves in a counterclockwise direction from its lower to its upper end.

The closure disc 44 that is attached to the upper end of connector sleeve 40, has a plurality of circumferentiallyspaced apertures 45 therethrough, the apertures 45 being positioned in underlying relation to the impeller blades 52, so that when water issues upwardly through apertures 45 it strikes blades 52 to produce rotation of sleeve 50 about stud 46.

The rotatable cleaning element or brush is generally indicated at 54. Brush 54 includes a brush support ring 55 positioned over the sleeve 50 in coaxial relation thereto so as to rest on the upper ends of the plurality of impeller blades 52. Bristles 56 are suitably supported by ring 55, the bristles being arranged in a plurality of circumferentially spaced groups between elements of the ring 55.

In order to hold the brush support ring 55 securely in position on sleeve 50, a fast operable nut 58 is screwed down onto the outer surface of sleeve 50. The inner surface of nut 58 is provided with a fast thread 60 which mates with a thread 62 on the outer surface of the upper end of bushing 50. The mating threads 66 and 62 preferably have a wide pitch to thereby provide a fast thread which permits easy detachment of the nut 58 with respect to the sleeve 50 to allow easy replacement or interchangeability of the cleaning brushes or other cleaning elements mounted on the rotatable sleeve 50. The direction of tightening of the thread should be such that the rotation of sleeve member 50 produced by the action of the water on the impeller blades 52 will tend to tighten the nut 58 onto the sleeve 50. With the nut 58 tightened down into engagement with the brush ring 55, so that ring 55 is securely attached to and rotates with the rotatable bushing or sleeve 50, the sleeve 50 and the attached brush support ring 55 and nut 58 are maintained against outward axial displacement on stud 46 by means of of the cap nut 64 and washer 66. The cap nut 64 is received on the threaded pin 48 projecting from the upper end of stationary stud 46 and washer 66 rests on the upper end surface 68 of stud 46. Cap nut 64 and washer 66 together define a thrust bearing means which resists outward axial movement of the rotatable brush drive assembly.

When the cleaner device is to be used for cleaning a sink trap or the like, the entire cleaner device assembly 10 is attached by means of the coupling 14 to the outer end of a garden hose or the like. Water from the hose passes through the apertures 45 of the disc 44 and impinges against the pivotally mounted check valve 22 in the check valve chamber 20, causing the check valve 22 to swing upwardly about its spring-biased pivotal connection to permit the water to pass into the flexible hose section 12. The check valve 22 prevents any flow of water from the cleaning device 10 back into the water line, thereby insuring that the cleaning device complies with plumbing regulations. The water after having passed check valve 22 then passes through the flexible hose section 12 and through the apertures 45 of the closure disc 44 to impinge against the under surfaces of the impeller blades 52 to thereby rotatably drive the sleeve 50 about the fixed stud 46. As the sleeve 50 rotates, it rotatably carries with it the'rotary brush 54 which cleans foreign matter from the interior of the plumbing line. The water discharged from the impeller blades 52 also passes into the plumbing line which is being cleaned and further assists in removing foreign matter from the line.

It can be seen that the pipe cleaner device hereinbefore described has great utility. The flexibility provided by the use of the short flexible hose section 12, together with the adaptability of the cleaning device 10 for attachment to a flexible garden hose or the like, permits the cleaning device to be easily inserted into plumbing lines having sharp bends such as those encountered, for example, in the trap line of the ordinary household sink.

Also, the integral combination with the short flexible hose section and the rotatably driven cleaning element, of a check valve which prevents back flow into the Wate supply line, provides a self-contained cleaning attachment for pipes which satisfies plumbing regulations in most jurisdictions.

Furthermore, the manner of securing the brush support ring to the rotatably driven sleeve by a quick detachable connection permits easy replacement or interchangeability of the rotatable brush for brushes of different size, or for the other types of cleaning devices where required.

While there has been shown and described a particular embodiment of the invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the invention and, therefore, it is aimed to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

A hydraulically-operated cleaning device for plumbing lines and the like comprising a short flexible hose member, means carried by said hose member at one end thereof for coupling said member to a source of water supply, mounting means for a rotatably driven cleaning element, said mounting means including connector means connecting said mounting means to the opposite end of said hose member, a closure member for said hose member attached to said connector means, a stud projecting axially outwardly from said closure member, a rotatable sleeve journalled for rotation on said stud, impeller vanes carried by said sleeve, said closure member having apertures therein positioned contiguous said vanes whereby water issuing from said hose member through said apertures impinges against said vanes to rotatably drive said sleeve, a radially projecting cleaning element mounted on said sleeve adjacent the outer end of said sleeve, said sleeve having an external thread thereon adjacent said outer end thereof, a nut member positioned on the outer end of said sleeve, said nut member having an internal thread in threaded engagement with the external thread on said sleeve, said nut member detachably securing said cleaning element to said sleeve, and thrust bearing means detachably mounted on said stud for preventing axially outward displacement of said sleeve along said stud while permitting free rotation of the impeller sleeve, said external thread on said sleeve and said internal thread on said nut member being of wide pitch to permit quick attachment and detachment of said cleaning element to and from the rotatable sleeve.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 599,840 Holden Mar. 1, 1899 649,839 Hart May 15, 1900 838,088 Dean Dec. 11, 1906 1,208,203 Plimley Dec. 12, 1916 1,630,677 Staley May 31, 1927 2,232,018 WVright Feb. 18, 1941 2,482,198 Melichar Sept. 20, 1949 2,767,735 Darling Oct. 23, 1956 

